Floor structure



FLOOR STRUCTURE www mmm/srs C. 24, 1944. H H BUNKER 2,366,933

FLOOR STRUCTURE INVENT OR.

@Trams/Ens Patented Oct. 24, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE FLOOR STRUCTURE.

Herbert H. Bunker, Jersey City, N. J.

Application May 22, 1941, Serial No. 394,575

4 Claims.

This invention relates to composite oor structures and more particularly to flooring consisting of a minimum number of different structural shapes in integral form. It is among the objects of the invention to provide floor structure which lends itself to complete fabrication from plastics.

Another object of the invention is to provide a composite floor structure made up of stringers and panels in which the panels are provided with openings, or are so formed as to provide openings between themselves, and in which the stringers and panels are adapted to be assembled in a factory and thereafter mounted in place, or be assembled in position at the place of use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a composite oor structure including stringers and panels and in which the stringers and panels provide the floor surface of the structure. As incident to the object of providing a door structure which may be made of plastic, it is a further object that the floor structure may be made to possess any of a wide variety of geometrical patterns wholly or partly made of clear plastics orof different colored plastics so as to provide a plain color or a mixed color pattern as might be desired.

Further and other objects of the present invention will be hereinafter set forth in the accompanying specification and claims and demonstarted by the drawings which show by way of illustration a preferred embodiment and the principle of my invention and what I now consider the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle. Other embodiments of the invention employing the same principle may be used and structural changes made as desired by those skilled in the art within the sp-irit of the appended claims and without departing from the present invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a plan illustrating a portion of the composite flooring.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is an embodiment of the invention in which the panels constitute individual block elements spaced from one another.

Fig. 5 is a section on irregular line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. "I illustrates another embodiment of the lnvention.

Fig. 8 illustrates still another embodiment of the invention.

The composite floor structure comprises parallel rows of stringers and panel members between pairs of stringers by which they are supported. In addition to 'supporting the flooring upon beams, the stringers provide narrow *elements in the surface of the ooring' and constitute a part of the flooring. Panels and stringers can be assembled in individual sections or they can be assembled as the floor` is being constructed.

Referring to the drawings, Figs. l, 2 'and 3, the door structure is designed to be mounted upon the usual beams l0 and Il which are provided for supporting oors. Stringers I2, I3 and Ill are designed to transfer the floor load to the beams. These stringers, together with the panels or slabs l5, constitute the entire oor structure. The stringers and the panels may be made of any of the well-known resinoids and from such materials as phenolic, urea, celluloseacetate and polystyrenes, depending upon characteristics of strength and ,color desired. The stringers are molded or cast in one piece and the panels likewise are integral structures. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,' each stringer has a pair of rails I6, l1, extending from opposite sidesy of the stringer intermediate its upper and lower portions. These rails run for the full length of the stringers and serve as supporting members for the panels l5. The upper portion I8 (Fig. 2) of each Stringer extends substantially to the level of the floor and constitutes a part thereof as a separator between adjacent rows of panels l5. The lower portion I9 rests upon the floor beams. The cross-section of each Stringer is preferably uniform throughout its length and it may' be reinforced with steel rods or wires in accordance with the principles applied in the reinforcement of concrete beams whenever the working stresses required of the string'er are morethan is usually possessed by the plastic material under a given set of circumstances and expected load.

Each of the panels shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 may have a relatively large area and is provided with a plurality of rectangular openings 20 for permitting the passage of light and air through the floor. The openings may, of course, have any shape desired to provide functional or design characteristics tothe surface of the floor. In addition, the surface area of the flooring may be molded with scoring or with other anti-slip configurations.

The ends of each panel are provided with depending anges 2| and 22 which rest upon the rails i6, I1, respectively, of a pair of stringers (Figs. 2 and 3). In addition, each panel has an L-shaped projection 23 of which the lip 24 underlies the laterally-extending rail of the stringer member. This L-shaped projection and the edge flange 2| form a re-entrant slot which contains the rail when the stringer and panel are united as in use. It will be seen from Fig. 2 that once the floor is assembled and the stringers areV properly mounted upon the beams, an individual panel cannot be lifted from the rails. Assembly is accomplished by sliding the panel lengthwise of the stringers.

In some cases it is advantageous to prevent lateral separation of stringers and panels before these are laid in place upon supporting beams. This may be accomplished by providing a projection 26 which rises upwardly from the surface of the rails and extends into the space provided between flange 2| and L-shaped projection 23. The engagement of flange 2| and projection 26 prevents separation of the stringer and panel in a direction laterally of the Stringer, when the panel is in its assembled position, as illustrated in Fig. 1. If desired, upwardly extending projection 26 and L-shaped projection 23 may be extended for the full length or for any part of the full length of each panel.

The employment of the invention as illustrated in Figs. 4, and 6, utilizes stringers 28 which are formed similarly to stringers I2, |3 and |4, in the modification just described. However, inasmuch as these stringers are more closely spaced together, they may be made of less weight and strength for the same conditions of load and support. 'Ihe panels in this instance constitute individual block elements 29 having like bearing portions 30 and 3| which rest upon the laterally projecting rails 32 and 33 of an adjacent pair of stringers. The outer edges of the rails 32 and 33 carry upstanding lips 34 and 35 which engage the sides of the .bearing portions 30 and 3|, respectively, and prevent lateral separation between the rails and block elements. These lips 34 and 35 maybe limited in length to the width of each block with whichA they function. The lower portions of the block elements extend below the rails 32 and 33, as shown at 36 and 3l in Fig. 5.

In assembling the oor structure illustrated in this iigure, individual block elements 29 are slid into position from the ends of a pair of rails, and they are spaced apart at uniform distances along the rails as illustrated in Fig. 4. Accordingly, there is formed between successive blocks and their associated supporting rails a rectangular opening which extends through the floor structure. The blocks may be made of the same width as the width of the upper portion of a rail and their dimensions and the spacing between blocks may be such to provide either a square or an oblong opening in the floor surface. Plastic cement may be used to hold the blocks inA assembled position.

There is shown in Fig. 6 means for clamping the floor structure to the supporting beams. This constitutes a pair of clips 40, 4| which have lips 42, 43 underlying the iianges of the supporting beam 44. These clips may have the same configuration as the block elements 29 eX- cept for their lower extensions by which they are clamped to the supporting beam 44 (Fig. 5). The projections 46, 4l' are shaped to rest upon the rails of the stringers so that the upper ends of two abutting stringers are thereby held down in place upon the supporting beams 44. The flanged pieces 40 and 4| are held together at their upper ends by a bolt 48, and a spacing sleeve 49 may be used between the flanged pieces, if desired.

In Fig. 7, the oor structure there shown is provided with Stringer members 56, 5|, each having horizontal supporting rails 52, 53 similar to those previously described, but which, however, are interrupted by lugs 54. The ends of alined stringers preferably are keyed together as shown at 55. The stringers are secured to the supporting beam 56 by means of clamping elements 40, 4|, like those illustrated in Fig. 6.

In the modiiication illustrated in Fig. 7, the individual blocks, instead of being slid lengthwise of the stringers when they are being mounted in place, are dropped into position from above. They can be cemented inplace, if desired. Re-

Ventrant slots 5l are provided in each block for snugly engaging the lugs 54. The lugs and the slots may be parallel-sided or tapered and made to iit snugly by a forced nt. The spacing of lugs 54 along the stringers determines the locations of the several blocks of a series of blocks and it is intended that these locations be such as to provide openings between the blocks. In Fig. 7 there is illustrated at the right side, diamondshaped lugs 58. These are intended to illustrate that diiierent geometrical forms of lugs may be used. When different colors are used in the rails and in the blocks the geometrical forms will be emphasized. The blocks, as well, may be provided with a curvilinear outline.

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 8 shows a form of design of the stringers and block elements of the type illustrated in Fig. 7, except that the block elements are provided with T-slots 59 which are engaged by complementary lugs 6|) upon the stringers. The supporting rail elements on the Stringer bars constitute shelf-providing areas 6| upon which the ends 62 of the blocks rest. The blocks of each series of .blocks are spaced from one another between a pair of stringers so as to provide openings therebetween and through the floor.

Laterally extending lugs 63 may be provided at intervals along the lower part of each Stringer to support a pan or form below the licor to receive and hold a mastic should it become desirable to convert the floor into a solid one without perforations,

It is to be understood that except for the clamping members the entire oor is assembled from two forms, each of which is Imolded or cast as a complete unit. One of these is the stringer element and the other the panel element. Inasmuch as resinoid materials are relatively light, a given area of ooring can be assembled in a shop as a sub-assembly and then transported to its place of use where several sub-assemblies can be put together.

Because of the physical characteristics of plastic materials there is a wide variety of uses available for the flooring; for example, in power plants where ventilation and draining is desired, as walkways, and as gallery ilooring in buildings where its decorative value may be utilized. The dimensional stability of plastics, their electrical insulation qualities, and their resistance to heat, water and chemicals are properties which suggest other elds of use.

What is claimed is:

1. A composite floor structure comprising stringers in parallel rows and spaced from one another, said stringers being disposed with their deepest dimension extending downwardly from the surface of the iioor structure and with their upper edges forming a part of the surface of the floor, each of said stringers having continuous rails extending laterally at each side and running for the full lengths of the stringers, said rails being disposed below the upper edges of said stringers, floor panels slidably mounted upon said rails and extending between stringers, lugs carried by said panels and extending beneath said rails so as to prevent the lifting of said panels from said rails while permitting the sliding of the panels along the rails, projections running along said rails, a flange at each edge of each of said panels adjacent the rails, said flanges being in slidable engagement with said projections for preventing lateral disengagement of the stringers and panels, the pair of panels at the abutting ends of aligned stringers having portions thereof depending below said stringers and grooves in said portions facing each other for engagement with floor-supporting structure, and means for holding said pair of panels against movement away from each other and along the stringers.

2. A composite iloor structure comprising stringers in parallel rows and spaced from one another, said stringers being disposed with their deepest dimension extending downwardly from the surface of the floor structure and with their upper edges forming a part of the surface of the floor, each of said stringers having rails running lengthwise of the stringer and extending from opposite sides of the stringer intermediate the upper and lower edges of the stringer, floor panels intermediate said stringers, said panels being arranged in rows separated in the oor of the structure by the upper edges of said stringers, each floor panel having opposite edges bearing upon the rails of adjacent stringers and being slidable thereon lengthwise of the stringers, said stringers being longer than the length of the iloor panels lengthwise of the stringers, means carried by said floor panels and by said stringers for preventing the lifting of said oor panels from said rail:` while enabling the sliding of said floor panels lengthwise of the stringers, a series of said panels including a pair of adjacent panels each having a portion thereof depending below the lower edges of said stringers with a lip on each of said pair of panels oppositely arranged for engaging floorsupporting structure to prevent upward displacement of the assembled stringers and panels, and means for holding said last-named pair of panels in locked relationship against their movement lengthwise of the stringers.

3. A composite reticulated floor structure comprising a plurality of stringer elements arranged parallel to each other and in spaced relation, said stringer elements being disposed with their deepest dimension extending downwardly from the surface of the floor structure and with their upper edges forming a part of the surface of the floor, each of said stringer elements having a rail extending from each side and running lengthwise of the stringer, individual blocks supported upon said rails so as to form a series of blocks between each pair of stringer elements, said blocks being spaced from one another in each series of blocks and extending between adjacent stringer elements, the upper surfaces oi the stringer elements and the upper surfaces of the blocks forming a floor surface having interstices provided by the spaces between successive blocks in each series of blocks, said blocks being individually associated with the stringer elements and capable by their arrangement of providing a varied pattern in the floor surface, means co-nnecting each block with adjacent stringer elements for locking the individual blocks and stringer elements against displacement in directions laterally to and away from the stringer elements, the pair of blocks at the abutting ends of aligned stringer elements having portions thereof depending below said stringer elements, and means connecting said pair of blocks to each other and for holding said pair of blocks in engagement with floor-supporting structure and said assembled stringer elements and blocks in locked position upon floorsupporting structure.

4. A composite reticulated floor structure comprising a plurality of stringers and blocks, each of which is molded as a unitary plastic member and is separable from the other into individual stringers and blocks on disassembly of the floor structure, said stringers being arranged in parallel rows with series of blocks between each pair of stringers, said blocks being spaced from each other in each series so as to provide openings through the floor between adjacent blocks and adjacent stringers, said stringers and blocks having their upper edges in the level of the floor of the floor-structure and constituting crossing treads, rails projecting laterally from the stringers intermediate their upper and lower edges and upon which said blocks are supported, interconnecting lips between the stringers and blocks for preventing the blocks from slipping oi from their said supporting rails by reason of displacement of either a rail or a block, said interconnecting lips constituting a projection from each block engaging with a complementary lip on the supporting rail, a series of said blocks including a pair of adjacent blocks each having a portion thereof depending below the lower edges of said stringers with a lip on each of said pair of blocks oppositely arranged for engaging floor-supporting structure to prevent movement of said adjacent pair of blocks lengthwise of the stringers, and means for maintaining said pair of blocks in clamping relation to the oor-supporting structure.

HERBERT H. BUNKER. 

